Friday 28 July 1665

Up betimes, and down to Deptford, where, after a little discourse with Sir G. Carteret, who is much displeased with the order of our officers yesterday to remove the office to Deptford, pretending other things, but to be sure it is with regard to his own house (which is much because his family is going away). I am glad I was not at the order making, and so I will endeavour to alter it. Set out with my Lady all alone with her with six horses to Dagenhams; going by water to the Ferry. And a pleasant going, and good discourse; and when there, very merry, and the young couple now well acquainted. But, Lord! to see in what fear all the people here do live would make one mad, they are afeard of us that come to them, insomuch that I am troubled at it, and wish myself away. But some cause they have; for the chaplin, with whom but a week or two ago we were here mighty high disputing, is since fallen into a fever and dead, being gone hence to a friend’s a good way off. A sober and a healthful man. These considerations make us all hasten the marriage, and resolve it upon Monday next, which is three days before we intended it. Mighty merry all of us, and in the evening with full content took coach again and home by daylight with great pleasure, and thence I down to Woolwich, where find my wife well, and after drinking and talking a little we to bed.

6 horses for a coach is really excessive - like using a Porshe on the school run (although Richard Hammond admits to this show-off behaviour). Sam loves it though and has mentioned it every time. Wonder why the Carterets, who don't seem the danglemyconspicuousconsumptioninfrontofyou types, have this equipage? Safety? A particularly heavy coach? Excessively bad roads in Essex? Ponder, ponder.

the Dagenham's , it be one place of residence i.e. it be the residence of the Dagenhams, later in the real estate boom when the fields be carved up to make room for new life, it be known in the singular as the collective name, rather than family of dagaenhams,

That be my take. quirk of Language, it will need the the linguist expert to clarify.

It be like me going to down under and asking for Susan's [dropping the Ossie bit].

Shouts, screams. Sounds of rocks hitting coach. View of flaming torches tossed. Hmmn, not a bad likeness of my Lady and Sir George burning in effigy, Sam notes. Agonized cries as coach lurches as if...Sam prefers not to look to see...they were rolling over something large. Sound of gunfire from driver's seat.

"Travel is such a bother these days, Mr. Pepys." my Lady, sighing.

***

Seriously, one might assume had Sam tried to come to Dagenhams without the cachet of Lady Carteret and her six he would have been lucky not to be run off or worse. Must have been quite dangerous for the ordinary traveler suspected of coming from London.

"These considerations make us all hasten the marriage, and resolve it upon Monday next, which is three days before we intended it" Love in the time of the plague or like the hasty marriages conducted in wartime. But this is surely a very short engagement.

"make us all hasten the marriage"In the first half of the 14th century when the plague first struck Europe when of the casualities was a young english princess, Joan, daughter of Edward the third;she was on her way to Spain to marry Pedro of Castille and her young life was cut short.

Thanks, JWB, but driving *one* pony was quite enough for me!Just as well Sam lived when he did: in the 18th century, it became The Thing for the young man about town seeking to impress the ladies to have a phaeton and 4 which he drove himself (equiv. of a custom sports car today). See (you have to scroll down) for two pictures of Regency phaetons. http://micheleannyoung.blogspot.com/2007/01/reg...I think little Sam would have found this quite a challenge - riding an entire horse in Hyde Park was his height of show-off activity in connection with horseflesh and that was rather too scary.

"But some cause they have; for the chaplin, with whom but a week or two ago we were here mighty high disputing, is since fallen into a fever and dead, being gone hence to a friend’s a good way off. A sober and a healthful man. These considerations make us all hasten the marriage, and resolve it upon Monday next, which is three days before we intended it. Mighty merry all of us, and in the evening with full content took coach again and home by daylight with great pleasure..."

Ah, eat, drink and be merry...

God who can only destroy our souls, and hath assured our resurrection, either of our bodies or names hath directly promised no duration. Wherein there is so much of chance, that the boldest expectants have found unhappy frustration; and to hold long subsistence, seems but a scape in oblivion. But man is a noble animal, splendid in ashes, and pompous in the grave, solemnizing nativities and deaths with equal lustre, nor omitting ceremonies of bravery in the infamy of his nature.